Meet our scientist of the month: Whitlow Au - 11.07.2013

Hometown: Kailua, HI
Occupation: Scientist
Research Interests: My research interest is mainly revolve around dolphins and whales. I am interested in the dolphin sonar system, marine mammal acoustics, odontocete foraging ecology, broadband sonar signal processing, and computer recognition of marine mammal sounds.
Interests Growing up: I was always interesting in how gadgets work and did my share of taking things apart but seldom able to put them back together successfully. As I grew up engineering and physics seem to hold my interest a lot.
How I got into Marine Science: After obtaining my Ph.D. degree I was recruited by a Navy R&D lab and was looking for a division to hang my hat in. It was then that I talked to a person that was involved with dolphin sonar research. I found his approach and research to be extremely interesting. So I switched from my electrical engineering career and entered into dolphin sonar research, applying principles of physics and engineering into the mix.
Scientific Mission: I would like to contribute as much as I can to the understand of how dolphins are able to use their sonar so effectively.
Advice for Young Scientists: I think the best advice is to follow your passion, understand that to follow your passion means working hard to get the proper background and knowledge to allow you to be successful.
Questions for Whitlow? Contact him here: wau@hawaii.edu

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